BROTHER (HERMANO) IS GONE TOO

BROTHER (HERMANO) IS GONE TOO

A few years later my brother died. He was about 19 or 20 years old. We think he was poisoned. It happened like this: He went out for a little while with my cousin. He promised Mama he would be back soon for a party at a neighbor’s to celebrate “Las Acciones de Maria”, as you say here in the United States. When they came back, everyone seemed fine, we didn’t know where he ate the poison. When he was out or when he barely came back. I was so little then, I don’t have a clear memory of that.

Mama was telling him to come eat, it was late because we eat late there, about 8 PM. When we started to eat, He said to me “I love you very much, little sister”. I said I loved him too but I didn’t know he was going to die right then.

He hugged Mama and said, “Don’t ever forget that I love you very much”. Mama said, “What is the matter with you? Why are you saying this to me?” He said there wasn’t any particular reason and she said “I love you very much too, but now go wash your hands and come eat. Hurry up.”

I sat myself down with Hermano and Mama. My other 2 sisters were in the other room so it was just us. Mama started serving the food and Hermano took a small piece for himself. I looked at him and I said, “Hermano, are you drunk?” Mama scolded, “Why are you drinking? You are still a boy.”

He said he hadn’t been drinking but he suddenly, he fell off his chair.  I went running to pick him up, thinking he was still drunk. “Hermano Santos, get up, get up Hermano Santos”. He did get up but he was frothing at the mouth, frothing and frothing. I saw his throat swell up and more froth. He vomited and maybe he took the poison out when he did that. I yelled for Mama and held him. He said “Take care of yourself, Sister. I love you very much”. And then he died. We went to call Tio and the neighbors, but it was too late! He was gone.

There is no law in Guatemala like they have here that you have to report this to the police and have it investigated to see what happened. Its not the same. Tio said, “Now my nephew is dead. We have to buy a coffin and we have to bury him.” Well, Mama was very sad. “I just lost my husband 7 months ago and now I’ve lost my son.”

Here’s the thing–When he was taken away to be buried, a woman came dressed in black. Mama said she laughed a cackling laugh and said, “Now I have won, your son is dead! She said this even though Mama did not know her.

My family looked for her to ask her why she poisoned my brother. Did he rob her? Did he do something bad to her? Couldn’t she just have told us? But we never found her. Mama said, “Only God knows about these things.”